1Recruiting Tip Do NAIA and NJCAA coaches have any restrictions on contacting potential recruits?

No, NAIA and NJCAA coaches can call, email, text, send direct messages on Facebook, post to a recruit’s wall, and chat online— anything at any time.

1 2Recruiting Tip

What is the National Letter of Intent (NLI)?

The NLI is a binding agreement between a prospective student-athlete and an NLI member institution.

3Recruiting Tip

Attention senior families: Create an account at www.fafsa.ed.gov and apply for a PIN so that on January 1st, you will be able to fill out the FAFSA forms. Money is first come, first serve!

3 4Recruiting Tip

Reminder to all aspiring college athletes: as we get closer to Turkey Day, communication will die down. Now is the time to reach out to those coaches.

5Recruiting Tip

If an athlete fails to respond to a coach, the coach might think that athlete is not interested in the program. To stay on the coach’s recruiting list, student-athletes need to be prompt, thorough, and personal when responding to correspondence.

5 6Recruiting Tip

Connecting with the coaching staff before an unofficial visit is critical. The purpose of an unofficial visit is to allow the athlete to experience campus life and build a relationship with the staff. But if the coaches are not eager to host a student, they likely are not interested in recruiting that athlete.

7Recruiting Tip

An athlete who receives a scholarship to play a “head count” sport is always given a full ride scholarship. An athlete who receives a scholarship to play an “equivalency sport” might receive only a partial scholarship.

7 8Recruiting Tip

An athlete should send videos only to college coaches who have requested them. An athlete’s video might not be looked at if a coach is not expecting it, especially if the coach is from a big program that receives 40 or 50 videos a week. If students want to mail a video or email a link to a coach who has not requested their highlight or skills video, they should call to make sure the coach is expecting the video.

9Recruiting Tip

The following are not signs of recruitment:-Invitation to attend a camp.-A generic admissions letter.-A scout attending a game (unless the scout came to evaluate the student-athlete).

9 10Recruiting Tip

It is never too late to be a good

student, according to Coach Chmiel.

An upswing in a student’s grade-point

average in later semesters can give a coach

the ammunition to make a case for an

otherwise-unqualified student-athlete

to gain admissions to a college. For this

reason, a student’s GPA in later semesters

is more important than their GPA in early

semesters.

11Recruiting Tip

According to a study by the University of Virginia, 80% of female Fortune 500 Top executives describe themselves as former athletes. Like this stat if you think it’s significant to be a college athlete.

11 12Recruiting Tip

A student-athlete only has one chance to make a first impression, so parents’ help in building a child’s confidence for communicating with adults is critical. Parents should start this process early so that a coach does not later mistake an athlete’s shyness for lack of interest.

13Recruiting Tip

The Recruiting Funnel:

A college football staff might send

10k to 15k letters -> And watch 1k-2k

videos -> Before making 500 phone

calls to potential recruits -> Verbally

offering between 65-200 scholarships

-> Extending up to 85 offers for

official visits -> Before signing a

maximum of 25 players per year.

13 14Recruiting Tip

Communicating with coaches is the single most important aspect of the recruiting process. It should come directly from the athlete, and it should come early.

15Recruiting Tip

Parents should be their

child’s assistant and mentor, not just

a cheerleader. The parent’s job is to

prepare the child and assist with

the recruitment process. The athlete

should turn to the parent for help, but

not for approval. Children who learn

to stand on their own two feet will

make better decisions and be more

confident and capable.

15 16Recruiting Tip

When reaching out to college coaches athletes need to send emails to coaches one at a time. “CCing” several coaches, or sending a mass email, is not looked upon favorably.

17Recruiting Tip

To all potential recruits

hoping that college coaches will call,

email, or engage socially with you:

Please make sure your voicemail,

email, and Twitter handles are set up

professionally, and are appropriate.

These two small things make a huge

difference in the recruiting process.

17 18Recruiting Tip

More than 80% of athletic

opportunities are at the NCAA

Division II, III, NAIA, or junior

college levels, with these schools often

providing more playing time, strong

academics, and a better fit for the

student-athlete.

19Recruiting Tip

A student forced to choose

between two sports should choose the

sport the athlete loves most, regardless

of whether this is their stronger sport.

During college, playing a sport can

be a full-time job, so being passionate

about the sport is critical to success

and longevity.

19 20Recruiting Tip

Among the most

overlooked opportunities are those at the

DIII programs. Athletes and their parents

miss out because they fall prey to the

technicality that DIII programs do not

offer athletic scholarships. While this is

true, it is also a technicality. DIII schools

offer grants-in-aid and non-athletic

scholarships that often make the cost of

attending less than that at their DI & DII

counterparts.

21Recruiting Tip

If offered a scholarship,

a student should always ask for it in

writing. Remember that nothing is

guaranteed until the athlete signs on

the dotted line on Signing Day, but

a written offer will provide a student

with some level of assurance.

21 22Recruiting Tip

A 4-2-4 transfer is a

student-athlete who started their

collegiate career at a 4-year program,

transferred to a 2-year program and then

ended up at another 4-year program. The

most important thing to know is that

when a student-athlete is a 4-2-4 transfer,

they MUST graduate from the 2-year

program in order to transfer to another

DI program.

23Recruiting Tip

Sports camps are in

excellent opportunity for an athlete to

build skills, experience campus life, or

connect with a coach. However, students

are usually not discovered at sports

camps. Sports camps are businesses that

most often accept as many students as

will pay to attend the camp, which means

coaches do not often recruit from camps

because the level of play is so diverse.

24Once awarded a

scholarship, a student-athlete must

maintain the scholarship. Three criteria

dictate whether the student-athlete will

maintain the scholarship:

- Performing well for the team

- Adhering to the NCAA or NAIA

rules and regulations

- Maintaining the required GPA

Recruiting Tip

25Recruiting Tip

Coach Contact Prior to September 1st of Junior Year Division I college coaches can’t send “recruiting materials” prior to the start of a student-athlete’s junior year of high school, but college coaches CAN and DO send the following information to student-athletes before junior year in high school:- Questionnaires - Camp Brochures- General information about the college, generated by the admissions department

26Recruiting Tip

Just because the visit is

“unofficial” doesn’t mean you should

come unprepared; think of it as a

preliminary job interview. If you’re

hoping for a scholarship offer from a

school, why not take the time to prepare

some thoughtful questions about the

direction of the program, or about the

school’s academic reputation, so that a

coach understands you’re responsible and

concerned about your future.

27Recruiting Tip

The key to a successful recruiting process is knowing what to do and understanding when and how to do it. When working toward an athletic scholarship, approach your four years of high school must like you would the four quarters of a game. Although the pressure might seem greatest during the third and fourth quarters, the points scored during the first half can be the difference between winning and losing.

27 28Recruiting Tip

It is extremely important

to reply to all correspondence you receive.

Avoid judging universities based on name

recognition. There are over 1,700 colleges

and universities at the NCAA Division I,

Division II, Division III, NAIA, and Junior

College levels. Don’t ignore any of them!

29The key to this process is research, research, research. Determining which school is a perfect fit for you involves much more than merely deciding which college you like the most. Not every school in which you’re interested will have a need for a student-athlete of your caliber or at your position, so you need to study and contact as many schools and coaches as you can to determine which one is a perfect match for you.

Recruiting Tip

30Visit as many colleges as possible during the summer, holidays, spring break, etc. There is no limit on the number of unofficial visits you may take. Target colleges you’re interested in and that have shown interest in you. Be sure to contact coaches before you set up visits. Coaches are typically more than happy to meet with an interested student-athlete. Remember that any time you call or email a coach you gain an advantage over you competition. College coaches appreciate student-athletes who are proactive and mature.

Recruiting Tip

31Recruiting Tip

Many of the best packages come from “non-scholarship” Division III programs. The reality is that if a Division III program wants an athlete, the school often finds a need- or non-need-based scholarship that applies to the student. In other words, Division III schools give financial aid based on how much they need a student-athlete. The key is to have multiple opportunities to negotiate the best bottom line.

31 32Recruiting Tip

The average high school coach has contact with fewer than five college coaches, most of whom are local. Student-athletes and families are ultimately responsible for connecting with college coaches.

33Recruiting Tip

An invitation for an official visit is a strong precursor to a scholarship offer. One rule of thumb in recruiting is that if an athlete is not offered an official visit, that athlete likely will not be offered a scholarship.

34Recruiting Tip

College coaches do a majority of their initial evaluations by looking at videos requested or received from reliable sources and delivered online or digitally. After watching a video, a coach may decide to make an in-person evaluation.

35Recruiting Tip

Financial Aid January 1st is the first day seniors are able to submit the FAFSA. Reminder for families you need to get your FAFSA submitted ASAP! Money is given on a first come, first serve basis. Use last year’s tax returns.

36Recruiting Tip

High school student-athletes who compete in college win on average more than $12,850 per year (for in-state, public school students) to $21,266 per year (for private school students) in scholarships, grants, and financial aid to play sports at a collegiate level for 4 or 5 years.

37Recruiting Tip

Student-athletes who take

the initiative to schedule unofficial

visits will likely move up the

recruitment list if they:

- Bring a list of questions to ask the

coach,

- Express knowledge about the

program, and

- Arrive on time with a copy of their

resume and highlight or skills video.

37 38Recruiting Tip

Remember that the greater the distance, the greater the opportunities. Parents should make sure the Name Game does not blind the child and encourage the athlete to search high and low, in every nook and cranny, for the right college fit.

39Recruiting Tip

College coaches send admissions material, brochures, and questionnaires to high school students to see which ones respond. Those who respond will stay on the recruiting list; those who do not respond will be removed. If a student-athlete receives a questionnaire, admissions material or brochure from a college coach, she should respond immediately, regardless of whether she wants to attend the school.

40Recruiting Tip

Before sending emails to twenty-five coaches and administrators, an athlete might want to call, make an introduction, and ask for the name of the person to whom the athlete should forward information in order to be evaluated to compete for the program.

41Recruiting Tip

Student-athletes should make the most of official visits. Athletes should walk around campus and get a feel for the atmosphere. - Do the students seem friendly? - Is this a place they can imagine living for the next four years?

Student-athletes might also want to try to meet the team, sit in a class, or watch a practice. They need to be sure this is a school they would want to attend if athletics were not part of the picture.

41 42Recruiting Tip

Student Athletes should consider the answer to these two questions when considering specific camps:- Has a coach from the school called me and specifically invited me to the camp?- Have I had any face-to-face contact with any of the coaches holding the camp?

If the answer to both of these questions is a no, the only reason to attend the camp is to build skills or gain experience.

43Recruiting Tip

A list of questions to ask the coach. Regardless of whether the student is a freshman or junior, or whether this is the first or fifth call with the coach, an athlete should always ask two questions:

- What else would I need to do to have a chance to compete for you program and earn a scholarship?- What is the next step I should take with you?

44Recruiting Tip

Start researching institutions to get a feel for the different types of campuses. A student-athlete should be directed to evaluate a wide range of schools, understanding that bigger is not always better, and Division I schools do not always offer better playing time, opportunities, or education than Division III or NAIA schools.

45Recruiting Tip

A request to ask the coach a few questions. Remember that the coach is a busy person. If he doesn’t have time, the students should ask when he can call the coach back. If an athlete calls a Division I or II coach before July 1 or June 15 of his junior year (depending on sport and excluding football or basketball), the coach is not allowed to return the student’s call, so if the coach is unavailable, the student-athlete should ask his assistant when he can reach the coach.

46Recruiting Tip

Student-athletes cannot redo the recruiting process. They cannot take a mulligan. The recruiting process is a once-in-lifetime experience that requires both the parents and the students to jump in full steam ahead. High school consists of only about 720 days.

How will the student-athlete make the most of this small window of opportunity?

47Recruiting Tip

What the student does off the field is just as important as what takes place on the field. As the recruiting process begins, maintaining good grades becomes more and more important. Performance in the classroom tells a coach plenty about an athlete’s likelihood of reaching their potential on the playing field. Coaches know that good students tend to make the most of their abilities and stay out of trouble.

47 48Recruiting Tip

When communicating with coaches, a parent should not be a “helicopter mom” or “we dad”. Parents should loosen the reins and let the child take the lead. College coaches are not interested in dealing with their player’s parents, so an overly involved parent might hurt a child’s chance of being recruited.

49Recruiting Tip

In most cases college coaches

will begin the recruiting process by sending

letters and questionnaires to the student-

athletes on their lists during freshman year.

Relationships are developed by student-athletes

who take advantage of their ability to call, write,

and take unofficial visits to these college coaches

at any time. Waiting to connect with a coach

might be the biggest mistake a young student-

athlete can make! Coaches from DIII and NAIA

schools can call a student-athlete at any time,

though some opt to follow the Division I and II

rules.

50Recruiting Tip

Only about 6.76% of high school athletes will play at a college level, and only 1.68% will receive a full or partial athletic scholarship to an NCAA-affiliated school. Only 0.98% will make the cut to play on a Division I college team. But guess what isn’t a Division I school? Williams College. Neither is Amherst, or countless other colleges that offer world-class education. Only about 15% of collegiate athletic opportunities are at the Division I Level. The rest are at the DII, DIII, NAIA, and JUCO.